Featured Highlights at the University of Minnesota, Crookston

June 2010 Archives

A robotics camp at the University of Minnesota, Crookston will teach students the skills needed to build and program robots to do tasks such as walk, pick up an object, and sense objects while navigating a maze. The camp, intended for students in grades sixth, seventh, and eighth, is scheduled for Monday through Wednesday, July 19-21, 2010.

To help students attend the camp, which costs $225 per student, the United Way of Crookston will sponsor five full scholarships for students with financial need who live within 25 miles of Crookston. To be considered for a scholarship, students should fill out the form available online or contact the Math, Science, and Technology Department at 218-281-8380 or Cynthia Weber at 218-289-1278 (weber434@umn.edu). Students have the option to purchase a Lego MINDStorm NXT robot kit at the end of the camp for $250.

More than 35 students from the White Earth Academy of Math and Science were on campus Monday and Tuesday, June 28-29. While on campus they were involved in several tours to learn about biofuels, the Nature Nook, the equine facility, and Evergreen Hall.

On Tuesday morning, the students had an opportunity to talk about college readiness and visit the campus bookstore. The White Earth students were joined by the students in the ESL/Culture Summer Camp for several activities.

To learn more about the White Earth Academy of Math and Science, visit the Web page.

In the photo: Students from the White Earth Academy of Math and Science and their instructors pose beneath the sign at the campus entrance. Photo by Extension Educator Stephan Carlson, Ph.D.

A conversational English class took advantage of the beautiful weather to do a little studying outside on Tuesday, June 29. With the sun shining and the humidity lower, temperatures ranged in the mid-sixties making it a perfect day to hold class outdoors.

Eighteen students from Korea are on campus for the English as a Second Language (ESL)/Cultural summer camp experience. Students have been on campus since June 21.

There are two sections of students who gather to study every morning. The instructor for this section is Ms. Racha Khodr (standing, far right).

In the afternoons and evenings, students spend time engaging in activities and exploring the region. The camp concludes on July 5.

The Northwest School of Agriculture welcomed alumni back to the
University of Minnesota, Crookston campus on Friday and Saturday, June
25-26, for their annual reunion.

Four exceptional alumni were honored
with the Top Aggie award, which is the highest honor a Northwest School
alumnus can receive. The award recognizes alumni who have displayed exemplary commitment and service to community, church, education, family, or in their occupational field.

The NWSA alumni reunion, first held in 1918, brings back alumni from the Northwest School of Agriculture, a residential high school located on what is now the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus. The NWSA opened its doors in 1906 and graduated its first class of 8 students in 1909.

The Northwest School of Agriculture enjoyed a weekend of reminiscing and fun with classmates and friends at the annual Northwest School of Agriculture Reunion. About 150 alumni returned for weekend events.

A number of alumni took time to look at the Centennial Park Flag Pole Project. The three flags (pictured at left) were raised for the first time on Friday morning, June 25 on the Campus Mall. The flags were sponsored by Alumnus Harris Peterson, a 1942 graduate of the Northwest School of Agriculture.

The United States flag, measuring 10' by 19', is flanked by the Minnesota state flag and a maroon and gold flag bearing the logo of the University of Minnesota, Crookston, each measuring 8' by 12'. The flag poles measure 70 feet and 50 feet respectively.

The drawing and design were the work of Widseth Smith Nolting and Community Contractors served as the general contractor on the project.

If you haven't had an opportunity to view the flags, visit campus and enjoy this beautiful addition to the Campus Mall.

Teambacker's held the Mark Olsonawski Endowed Scholarship Golf Tournament on Thursday, June 24 at Two Rivers Golf Course in Hallock, Minn.

Over 60 golfers participated in the 18-hole scramble which raises money for the Golden Eagle Football Endowment. Winning the tournament was the team of Mike Olsonawski, Jeff Backous, Jason Urbaniak and Cameron Mortenson.

Seventy-seven grade school kids gathered on campus Monday to learn more about Spain and new cultures.

Crookston's Club Kid program, run through the City of Crookston's Park and Recreation, partnered with the University of Minnesota, Crookston's Center for Adult Learning for a variety of educational experiences this summer including Monday's Spanish culture session.

Kids ranging from second grade to fifth grade learned more about foods, music, crafts, introductory Spanish speaking terms, geography, and played soccer on the mall.

Last week kids participated in "Have a ball at UMC" featuring various sporting activities. Club Kid will visit the campus again in the coming weeks to learn more about science, planetariums, rockets, natural resources, the region and more.

In the photo: Kathy Twite, U of M, Crookston Spanish instructor (upper right, in red), leads Club Kids in a language "Spanish delivered welcome" and language terms they can take home with them.

The Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) Alumni Association is preparing for their annual alumni reunion on campus. The theme for this year's reunion, scheduled Friday and Saturday, June 25-26, is "A Summer Place."

Reunion weekend begins with a fish fry on Friday night and concludes with the Top Aggie banquet on Saturday night. Honored classes are '25, '30, '35, '40, '45, '50, '55, '60, and '65. Special recognition is given to the Class of 1960 in celebration of their 50-year class reunion.

The NWSA was located on what is now the U of M, Crookston campus and represents graduates of the residential, agricultural
high school from 1905 through 1968. In all, there were some 5,433 graduates of the NWSA.

For more information on the reunion, contact Rose Ulseth in the Office of Development & Alumni Relations at 218-281-8439.

A bachelor of science degree in accounting offered entirely online through the University of Minnesota, Crookston Online was approved by the University of Minnesota Board of Regents at their June meeting.

The accounting program in the Business Department is designed to provide students with both the theoretical and the analytical framework they will need in the workplace and gain the skills required to work effectively in public, private, or governmental accounting. Offering the degree program online provides greater convenience and flexibility for working adults and part-time students.

A unique feature of the accounting curriculum is that it will feature an optional fifth year of study focused on preparation for the CPA exam. Learn more.

With the addition of accounting to the online degrees, the Crookston campus delivers seven degree programs entirely online.

Long known for its beautiful grounds, the Crookston campus is in bloom thanks to abundant rainfall this spring. The showy lady's slipper is just one example of the flowers currently blooming in the campus gardens.

One of 43 orchid species that grow in
Minnesota, the showy lady's slipper is not only recognized as the state flower, it is considered one of the most beautiful in Minnesota. To learn more about the showy lady's slipper, visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Visit the campus and enjoy all the beautiful gardens on the Campus Mall and in the Nature Nook, a reconstruction of Minnesota's 3 natural biomes - prairie, deciduous forest, and boreal forest. The area also includes the Shaver Butterfly Garden.

University of Minnesota, Crookston Learning Abroad Students are blogging about their experiences... below is an exerpt from Shawn Friedland about his experiences with health care in Ghana.

"Today was a somewhat similar, but different day to the previous ones. I arrived at our placement a little after 8 in the morning and went to check out the antenatal ward (what we call prenatal). There, they have a daily ritual around 8:30 AM. Each morning around that time, every pregnant patient in the waiting room sings and prays for about 20 minutes. There is one head nurse that leads the session and everyone stands up and sings in their native language ewe. It was overwhelming to see around 30 pregnant women in one waiting room all singing and praying. One of the nurses said to me that they sing and pray each day for their babies to be born healthy."

A flagpole project is underway on the U of M, Crookston Campus Mall. There will be three flagpoles, one at 70 feet tall and two at 50 feet, with the related concrete and lighting work.

The project was made possible by a gift from Northwest School of Agriculture Alumnus Harris Peterson, '42, and will allow the flags of the United States, Minnesota, and the University of Minnesota to be flown.

The project will be completed in time for the Northwest School of Agriculture Summer Reunion, June 25 and 26, 2010.

A new degree program for the Crookston campus, a bachelor of science degree in environmental sciences, was approved at the May meeting of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.

The new degree program is currently accepting students and will launch fall semester 2010.

The new program is designed to provide students with the scientific background and practical skills needed to successfully address environmental issues. It will also prepare students to be successful applicants to graduate programs.

Based on their interests and career goals, students may choose from five different emphasis areas within the new degree program: agricultural environmental stewardship; environmental ecology; environmental health; environmental toxicology and chemistry; and water quality.

Two robotics camps at the University of Minnesota, Crookston will teach students the skills needed to build and program robots to do tasks such as walk, pick up an object, and sense objects while navigating a maze. Two sessions of the robotics camp, intended for students in grades sixth, seventh, and eighth, are scheduled for Monday through Wednesday, June 14-16 and repeated on July 19-20, 2010.

To help students attend the camp, which costs $225 per student, the United Way of Crookston is offering five full scholarships for each camp session for students with financial need who live within 25 miles of Crookston. To be considered for a scholarship, students should fill out the form available online or contact the Math, Science, and Technology Department at 218-281-8380 or Cynthia at 218-289-1278 (weber434@umn.edu). Students have the option to purchase a Lego MINDStorm NXT robot kit at the end of the camp for $250.